Proper maintenance of railroad track requires the periodic removal and replacement of worn or degraded ties from beneath the rails. Modern railroad maintenance utilizes tie cranes to move the ties to and from the track bed. A stand alone tie crane is exemplified by the Model 12-12 Tie Crane available from the Kershaw Division of Progress Rail, owner of the present application. Such tie cranes are self propelled and include a lower frame and an upper platform mounted to the lower frame on a large diameter slewing ring which allows the upper deck to rotate a full 360 degrees. The crane boom is mounted to the upper platform and moves with the platform. In environments where two tracks are adjacent, care must be taken that the crane boom does not extend beyond the clearance guideline of the adjacent track. Known technology requires the operator to dismount from the cab to place fixed mechanical stops in position to arrest the movement of the platform and boom towards the adjacent track. The stops provide a sudden stop that is jarring to the operator and the equipment with associated wear on both.